The Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear (GRHE) is a staple of many a fly box with a variety of nymph patterns being very popular. This is a fly which will serve you well for much of the season with the bead head and weighted versions very prominent when the need is to get down to deep lying fish.

Take a look at Davie McPhail’s excellent video from YouTube of his version of this fly.

 

and below is a variation from Diptera.co.uk where you can find many great patterns, simply presented, beautifully photographed and easy to follow.

Tying the Hare’s Ear Nymph

STEP 1 : Take a bunch of hares ear guard hairs and catch in along the hook shank. Stop the thread at a position opposite the barb.

STEP 2 : Now catch in some oval gold tinsel to the underside of the hook.

STEP 3 : Dub some hare’s ear fur onto the tying thread.

STEP 4 : Wind the dubbed hare’s ear fur up the hook shank, stopping just over 1/3 of the hook shank length from the eye.

STEP 5 : Wind the oval gold tinsel forward so that it creates a rib. Trim Waste

STEP 6 : Catch in a few pheasant tail fibres that will become the thorax cover and leave the ends trailing backwards.

STEP 7 : Now create a dubbing loop with thread, place some hare’s ear fur in between the loop, spin the thread with a dubbing twister. (There are many methods for creating a dubbing loop. Here’s a link to create a basic dubbing loop) . Wind the dubbed loop around the hook to create a bushy thorax.

STEP 8 : Tie off at the eye and trim waste Pick out the hares ear fibres on both the body and thorax with a dubbing teaser.

Final : Now pull the pheasant tail fibres forward and secure at the eye. Trim any waste, create a neat head, whip finish, cut away thread and varnish.

Fishing the GHRE Nymph

A very versatile fly. It is easy to find anglers who will swear by fishing the weighted fly in a typical upstream nymph fashion, Czech or French Nymph style. Others who will fish it as a down and across wet fly and those who swear by the non-weighted version as a dry fly fished in or just below the surface.

If you’re new to buying flies please remember to choose flies which are dressed to attract fish, not to attract the angler, our friends at Anglers’ Lodge will keep you right.

Whether you tie your own or want to buy them this club has a great relationship with The Anglers’ Lodge at Jubilee Lakes where you will find a great selection of materials and flies and can enjoy a small discount when you show your W&DAC membership book.

Enjoy fishing the Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear Nymph